You can bet your bottom dollar that ANNIE will bring a smile to your face!  Everyone's favorite redhead orphan is back to belt her heart out and dance up a storm.  TUTS presents the Musical ANNIE from March 20 - April 1, 2012 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts located at 800 Bagby & Walker, Houston Texas.  Photo by Claire McAdams.
 

Theatre Under The Stars Welcomes ANNIE To The Stage

Classic Family Favorite Show Will Run

March 20 – April 1, 2012 AT HOBBY CENTER!

HOUSTON – Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is proudly producing the family favorite Annie, running March 20 – April 1 at the Hobby Center for The Performing Arts.

You can bet your bottom dollar that Annie will bring a smile to your face!  Everyone’s favorite redhead orphan is back to belt her heart out and dance up a storm. You loved this nine-time Tony Award winner as a kid, and now your children will too!  Annie, along with her dancing, singing orphan pals and her adorable dog Sandy, will once again face off against Miss Hannigan, then find her way home with Daddy Warbucks and his lovely companion aptly named Grace. A special delight, viewers will see the best of Houston’s young talent, courtesy of TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, in one of the most beloved productions to ever take the stage.  Featuring such memorable songs as “It’s The Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow,” Annie will be the family favorite you will want to see again and again!

In celebration of Annie, Theatre Under The Stars will offer a number of special events and opportunities:

 Photo Opportunities with Annie:

Saturday, March 3 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Have your photo taken with Annie and Daddy Warbucks in front of their vintage car at Beck’s Prime, located at 115 W. 19th street in the Heights!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 1 – 3 p.m. – Have your photo taken with Annie at the dog park in Discovery Green.  Bring Fido and Spot too!

 “Annie” Film Screening at Sundance Cinemas:  Monday, March 12, 2012 at 7 p.m.

 Join TUTS for a free screening of the beloved children’s movie at Sundance Cinemas, the newly opened movie theater in downtown Houston’s Bayou Place.

Culture + Cuisine: Make it the perfect night with a delicious dinner before the show.  Enjoy special pricing on a set 3 course meal followed by an orchestra level seat.  A shuttle is available on request to travel between the partner restaurants and Hobby Center.  These dinner packages are available in conjunction with all evening performances.

For more information or to purchase a dinner package, visit TUTS.com/CultureCuisine or call the box office at 713-558-8887.

OUT@TUTS Post-Show Cast Party: Thursday, March 22, 2012

A post-show, cabaret-style event at Artista Restaurant for TUTS’ GLBT friends.  Visit TUTS.com/OUT for more information.

Workshop for Students Ages 7 -12:   Friday, March 23, 2012 from 5 – 7 p.m.

 Learn how to be a “leapin’ lizard” when cast members from Annie teach a musical dance number from the show.  Visit TUTS.com/Events to take advantage of this offer.

 Mobile Adoption with the Houston Humane Society:  Saturday, March 24, 2012 and 31 from 1-5 p.m.

 Arrive before the show to meet and adopt a loving four-legged friend and take your new family member home when you leave the theatre.

Annie’s VIP Ice Cream Social:  Sunday, March 25, 2012

Join Annie and Sandy for a pre-show treat that will tickle your sweet tooth at our build-your-own sundae ice cream bar followed by an animated performance with a VIP seat.

Tickets (starting at only $24) are available on-line at TUTS.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, located at 800 Bagby at Walker, Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.  An audio described performance is available Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m.; open captioning is available Sunday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible.  Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.  Group tickets may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.

TUTS’ presentation of Annie is made possible by the generosity of Apache Corporation.

Theatre Under The Stars’ 2011-2012 Seeing Is Believing season is generously sponsored by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System. For all of TUTS’ shows, air transportation is provided by United Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. Media sponsors include ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle.  Season support is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Theater District Association and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed nonprofit musical theatre company whose mission is to enrich life through the experience of quality musical theatre and to positively impact lives beyond the stage through innovative education & community outreach programs.  TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public when it was founded in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the theatre opened.  Founded by Frank M. Young and currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Kopit and Yeston’s Phantom, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll & Hyde, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas as well as critically acclaimed re-inventions of classics Cabaret and Les Miserables.  Through its membership in the Independent Presenters Network, TUTS has helped bring Bombay Dreams, 9 to 5, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Spamalot, Legally Blonde, Ragtime, Curtains and The Color Purple to Broadway and ultimately back to Houston audiences.

In support of TUTS’ mission, TUTS Education programs provide instruction and stage experience for more than 21,000 students annually, allowing them to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes.  The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) offers technique-driven classes for all ability levels and ages, ranging from four to adult.  Through a merger with The River Performing and Visual Arts Center (The River), TUTS provides an accessible and inclusive arts education for children of all abilities that will enhance their development into confident, balanced individuals.  TUTS Education provides extended on-site programming as well as off-site programming for children in schools, hospitals and other community-based sites.  TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.

You loved this nine-time Tony Award winner as a kid, and now your children will too!  Annie, along with her dancing singing orphan pals and her adorable dog Sandy is back in Houston once more!  TUTS presents the Musical ANNIE from March 20 - April 1, 2012 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts located at 800 Bagby & Walker, Houston Texas.  Photo by Claire McAdams.

Theatre Under The Stars Announces The Cast Of Family Favorite

Annie

March 20 – April 1, 2012

HOUSTON – Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is excited to announce the cast that will lead the family favorite musical Annie, running March 20 – April 1, 2012 at the Hobby Center for The Performing Arts.

You can bet your bottom dollar that seven-time Tony Award winner Annie will bring a smile to your face!  Everyone’s favorite redhead orphan is back to belt her heart out and dance up a storm. You loved this story as a kid, and now your children will too!  Annie, along with her dancing, singing orphan pals and her adorable dog Sandy, will once again face off against Miss Hannigan, then find her way home with Daddy Warbucks and his lovely companion Grace. A special delight, viewers will see the best of Houston’s young talent, courtesy of TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, in one of the most beloved productions to ever take the stage.  Featuring such memorable songs as “It’s The Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow,” Annie will be the family favorite you will want to see again and again!

Leading the cast as the spunky, adorable orphan is Sadie Sink.  Sink, a resident of Brenham, TX, appeared as Susan Waverly in TUTS’ recent holiday show White Christmas.  She attends First Baptist Church School in Brenham, TX and is a student at TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre.

Staring as the lovable tycoon Oliver Warbucks is George Dvorsky.  A familiar face at TUTS, Dvorsky has acted in several productions including the recent shows A Wonderful Life and The Sound Of Music. On Broadway, he appeared in the title role of The Scarlet Pimpernel and in the revival of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. His other Broadway credits include the Tony Award–winning Passion, as well as Marilyn: An American Fable and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

The comically conniving Miss Hannigan will be performed by Michele Ragusa.  Her previous theatre experience includes Broadway’s Young Frankenstein, Urinetown, A Class Act, Titanic, Cyrano, and Ragtime as well as the national tours of West Side Story, Nunsense II and Fiddler On The Roof.  Michele is the recipient of the Barrymore Award and received Lucille Lortel and Drama League nominations for her work in Christopher Durang and Peter Melnick’s Adrift In Macau.

Grace Farrell, Warbucks’ personal assistant, will be portrayed by Glory Crampton.  Crampton has appeared in previous TUTS productions like Phantom, My Fair Lady, and Hello, Dolly!.  An accomplished singer who has performed with the likes of Jose Carreras from The Three Tenors, Crampton has played in several off-Broadway shows such as Death Takes A Holiday and Carnival.

Hannigan’s scheming brother Rooster will be played by Dave Schoonover, whose credits include the national tour of Cats.  Rooster’s girlfriend and accomplice Lily will be played by Brandi Wooten.  Wooten last appeared on the TUTS stage in A Chorus Line.  She also has earned accolades from her work on Broadway in 9 to 5: The Musical and Monty Python’s Spamalot.

Appearing as Franklin D. Roosevelt will be Tom Treadwell, who played in TUTS’ last production of Annie as well as in the Broadway revival of Annie.  He has also toured nationally with Ragtime, Cats and Company.  Treadwell’s other credits include several off-Broadway productions like The Last Starfighter, Miss Liberty and Meet Me In St. Louis as well as many television and film appearances.

Making an appearance as Sandy will be Macy.  Dog trainer Bill Berloni was brought into the fold to train Macy for her role as Sandy.  Berloni is widely recognized as an expert in animal behavior and for his dedication to rescue work. In addition to his work as a trainer, Bill is currently behavior consultant to the Humane Society of New York. He also holds a BFA in theatre, is a published author and actor, and is the 2011 recipient of the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre.  In reflection of his 30 years of developing animals into trained actors, Berloni published his book, Broadway Tails, in 2008 as a collection of heartfelt stories of rescued dogs who became showbiz superstars.

Annie’s friends in the orphanage will be played by students from TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre.  Appearing as lead orphans are Margarite Durning (July), Megan McGuff (Pepper), Mandy Miller (Kate), Elise Shoss (Duffy), Jacqueline Touchet (Tessie), and Mara-Catherine Wissinger (Molly).  The remaining ensemble of orphans includes Mallory Bechtel, Maddie Dyer, Raiya Goodman, Elyssa Kim, Miho Maeda, Savannah May, Abigail Moorhead, Lauren Santana, and Katja Yanko.

Other members of the cast include J. David Anderson, Bill Bateman, Caitlin Cannon, Christopher Carothers, Tess Ferrel, Danny Gardner, Dustin J. Harder, Rod Roberts, Susan Shofner, Roger Preston Smith, Dorothy Stanley, Michael Tapley, Erin Wasmund, and Nikol Wolf.

Annie is based on the popular Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.”  The show features a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin.

Annie will be directed by Mark Waldrop. Waldrop’s previous work on stage includes Broadway’s La Cage Aux Folles, Evita and the revival of Hello, Dolly!.  He boasts two Drama Desk Awards for his work with Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly.  Annie also features the work of choreographer Tara Jeanne Vallee.  As a performer, Vallee is a two time World Tap Champion and performed at the Town Hall in the NY Tap Extravaganza honoring Gregory Hines.  She has danced in national tours of The Music Man, My Fair Lady, and Footloose.  Her choreography was seen on Broadway in Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy after 2 years of a successful national tour. 

Joining them on the creative team is musical director and conductor Eddy Robinson.  Also lending their talents to the creative team are longtime TUTS colleagues sound designer Kit Bond, lighting designer Richard Winkler and assistant lighting designer Paul Hudson.

Tickets (starting at only $24) are available on-line at TUTS.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, located at 800 Bagby at Walker, Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.  An audio described performance is available Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m.; open captioning is available Sunday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible.  Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.  Group tickets may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.

TUTS’ presentation of Annie is made possible by the generosity of Apache Corporation.

Theatre Under The Stars’ 2011-2012 Seeing Is Believing season is generously sponsored by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System. For all of TUTS’ shows, air transportation is provided by United Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars. Media sponsors include ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle.  Season support is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Theater District Association and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed nonprofit musical theatre company whose mission is to enrich life through the experience of quality musical theatre and to positively impact lives beyond the stage through innovative education & community outreach programs.  TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public when it was founded in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the theatre opened.  Founded by Frank M. Young and currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Kopit and Yeston’s Phantom, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll & Hyde, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas as well as critically acclaimed re-inventions of classics Cabaret and Les Miserables.  Through its membership in the Independent Presenters Network, TUTS has helped bring Bombay Dreams, 9 to 5, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Spamalot, Legally Blonde, Ragtime, Curtains and The Color Purple to Broadway and ultimately back to Houston audiences.

In support of TUTS’ mission, TUTS Education programs provide instruction and stage experience for more than 21,000 students annually, allowing them to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes.  The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) offers technique-driven classes for all ability levels and ages, ranging from four to adult.  Through a merger with The River Performing and Visual Arts Center (The River), TUTS provides an accessible and inclusive arts education for children of all abilities that will enhance their development into confident, balanced individuals.  TUTS Education provides extended on-site programming as well as off-site programming for children in schools, hospitals and other community-based sites.  TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston's high school musical theatre programs.

 
Annie, along with her dancing singing orphan pals and her adorable dog Sandy, will once again face off against Miss Hannigan, then find her way home with Daddy Warbucks and his lovely companion aptly named Grace.  TUTS presents the Musical ANNIE from March 20 - April 1, 2012 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts located at 800 Bagby & Walker, Houston Texas.  Photo by Claire McAdams.